A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to card reading apparatus for use in electronic data processing systems and, more particularly, relatively high speed card readers designed with input and output hoppers suitable for continuous card reading operation.
B. Description of the Prior Art
The use of card readers in the electronic data processing industry has been widespread for many years, and is well established. Such card readers find use in a wide variety of different systems and applications, and indeed are used in any type of system where paper cards are a suitable means for storing information and inputting information into the system. In accordance with the wide variety of types of electronic data processing systems which are found, card readers are available which have many different speeds, and range from card readers designed to read one card at a time to card readers designed to accommodate large loads, e.g., read 1,000 card per minute or more. In most applications, there occur instances where a large number of cards encoded with information, either mark or hole information, are being read at a reasonably high speed, and the operator is interested in being as efficient as possible in loading and unloading the card reader so as to optimize its usage. The conventional input hopper design of card readers provides for cards to be loaded from the top into a hopper, with the card reader picking or otherwise feeding each successive card from the bottom of the pile. This arrangement permits easy loading of the input hopper without in any way affecting the continuing operation of the card reader. However, the unloading operation presents more of a problem, since the conventional card reader arrangement incorporates an output hopper wherein the cards which have been transported through the reader are dropped into the output bin at high speed, with each successive card being piled on top of the prior card. Since the cards are being loaded from the top, and the pile of cards is being supported from the bottom, there is no ready way of unloading the output hopper, or output bin, while maintaining continuous high speed operation without disturbing the collection of cards in the output hopper. Not only is it desirable to unload cards, but the unloading operation must be non-disturbing in the sense of not disturbing the collection of cards and not causing any damage to any of the cards. In other words, what is needed is a means of "unloading on the fly", which permits the operator to unload cards at any suitable moment, without stopping the operation of the card reader. It is to be noted that card readers conventionally have an automatic shut-off feature, whereby when the pile of cards in the output bin reaches a certain magnitude, a switch is closed resulting in turn-off of the card reader motor. When this happens, of course, the operator can then unload the output bin, and recommence operation. Alternately, the operator can throw a power switch and stop operation, unload the output hopper, and then recommence operation. However, it is clear that, from an operator point of view, it would be greatly desirable to be able to unload on the fly, so that the operator has complete flexibility in loading and unloading while maintaining continuous operation of the card reader, and without damaging the cards. It is readily appreciated that, whether the system that is being attended by the operator involves a single card reader or a number of card readers, the efficiency of operation will be increased by the capability of maintaining continuous operation of each reader. It is well recognized in the data processing industry that the overall system efficiency, from the point of view of time required to perform operations, is limited by the input and output peripheral devices, and accordingly any means of increasing the operating efficiency of the card reader when used as an input device directly enhances the efficiency of the entire system.
As used herein, the term "card" refers to conventional paper cards as used in the data processing industry, of any size, as well as any other type of card, sheet, page and the like on which character information can be encoded.